Restoration and Renewal Client Board

Palace of Westminster: Repairs and Maintenance

Earl Attlee: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker,  following theprofessional and technical advice received by both Houses that a partial decant is both more risky and expensive than a full decant, why a partial decant is still being considered as an option for Restoration and Renewal of the Palace of Westminster.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: In July 2023 the Restoration and Renewal (R&R) Client Board endorsed the R&R Programme Board’s recommended shortlist of R&R delivery options. This included a “full decant” option where both Houses move out of the Palace at the same time (with the Commons prioritised for earlier return) and an option whereby the House of Commons would maintain a “continued presence” in varying locations in the Palace during the works and the House of Lords would move out of the Palace. The Client Board has also requested that a fallback option of enhanced maintenance and improvement forms part of further detailed design work on these options to inform a decision on the preferred way forward in due course, currently expected in 2025.The Client Board considered it important that more than one option should be subject to further detailed design work and analysis in order to meet the spirit of the new mandate for R&R agreed by both Houses last year and to reflect that members of both Houses have differing views about how the programme can best be delivered.

Department for Education

Alternative Education

Lord Storey: To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the numbers of (1) schools, local authorities and multi-academy trusts commissioning alternative provision from unregistered settings, and (2) pupils receiving such provision, in the latest year for which figures are available.

Lord Storey: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to regulate unregistered alternative provision for schooling.

Lord Storey: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure schools, local authorities and multi-academy trusts that commission unregistered alternative provision take suitable and consistent checks on the quality and safety of that provision.

Baroness Barran: Data on the number of pupils receiving school arranged alternative provision is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/e34e06f9-b3f1-4d63-8c02-08dbe514ee42. This shows that 12,084 pupils were receiving school arranged alternative provision in an education setting without a unique record number (URN) assigned by the department. This data was recorded across 2,558 schools which had arranged alternative provision and includes schools in multi-academy trusts.Data on the number of children and young people receiving local authority arranged alternative provision is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/c1229d41-8321-4c05-8c04-08dbe514ee42. This shows that 8,311 placements were made in education settings without a URN. 140 local authorities recorded placements in education settings without a URN.The alternative provision statutory guidance is clear that alternative provision, including unregistered alternative provision arranged by a local authority, should be good quality, registered where appropriate, and delivered by high quality staff with suitable training, experience and safeguarding checks. Responsibility for the alternative provision used rests with the commissioner. The statutory guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/alternative-provision.The Keeping children safe in education statutory guidance states that, where a school places a pupil in alternative provision, the school continues to be responsible for the safeguarding of that pupil and should be satisfied that the provider meets the needs of the pupil. The guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2. Schools should obtain written confirmation from the alternative provision that appropriate safeguarding checks have been carried out on individuals working at the establishment.The department launched a call for evidence on the use of unregistered alternative provision last year. The responses to the call for evidence have been analysed and the analysis will be published later this year. The department will set out further proposals to strengthen protections for children and young people in unregistered alternative provision as they develop.

Digital Technology: Training

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to expand the delivery of digital skills short courses and skills academies.

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to support vocational learning pathways for the delivery of digital skills education.

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address the digital skills gap for those aged over 50.

Baroness Barran: Digital and computing skills are critical to achieving the department’s science and technology superpower ambitions, which were published in March 2023 in the UK Science & Technology Framework. Programmers, data scientists, and other key digital roles will help to deliver the department’s ambitions for the critical technologies detailed in the Framework, like AI and Quantum, but their importance is not limited to these technologies. These roles are fundamental to the wider labour market with 60% of businesses believing their reliance on advanced digital skills will increase over the next five years.The department is investing in employer led technical skills and education, with courses and training in digital subjects often at the forefront of its reforms. For example, the department has introduced three Digital T Levels. These are gold-standard Level 3 technical qualifications designed with employers to meet industry standards. They have a significant industry placement built in to give experience of work within the digital sector.There are also over 30 Digital Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) now being taught. These are Level 4/5 qualifications developed by awarding bodies in collaboration with employers so students can develop the digital skills that employers want. Additionally, digital apprenticeships continue to grow with over 22,000 starts in 2022/23, which is an increase of 19% from the previous year.The department is building on these initiatives through the Digital and Computing Skills Education Taskforce which brings together government and external expertise to increase the numbers of individuals taking digital and computing qualifications in mainstream and tertiary education and to attract individuals into digital jobs.The department’s ambitious skills agenda is backed by an additional £3.8 billion in further education and skills over this Parliament. The department is using this funding to ensure people of all ages can access high quality training and education which addresses skills gaps and boosts productivity. Key examples of how this funding has been used to support digital skills can be seen in the introduction of 21 Institutes of Technology (IoTs) across England, the introduction of the Free Courses for Jobs offer and the national roll out of Digital Skills Bootcamps.IoTs are leaders in the provision of high quality higher level technical education. They are employer-led collaborations that bring together the best of existing further education provision with higher education partners to develop a high skilled, diverse workforce that is designed to respond to evolving sector needs. IoTs aim to help close skills gaps in STEM sectors, like digital. By establishing IoTs as a permanent network of ‘go to’ providers with deep employer relationships for Level 4/5 higher level STEM training, they play a critical role in boosting local economies and delivering the Lifelong Learning Entitlement and HTQs.Launched in April 2021, the Free Courses for Jobs offer allows eligible adults to access over 400 Level 3 qualifications (A level equivalent) for free, including those linked with digital careers. These courses are ideal for those adults over 50 without a Level 3 qualification that are looking to improve their digital skills, retrain or upskill to meet their potential.Skills Bootcamps are free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks for adults aged 19 or over, with courses available in digital subjects such as software development, cyber security, and data analytics. The majority of the trailblazers in Skills Bootcamps launched in 2020, were Digital. Digital training constituted the biggest element of the department’s provision in the ensuing waves of delivery in the 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24 financial years.More Skills Bootcamps in Digital are being delivered through the launch of a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) which enables the department to procure Skills Bootcamps in response to quickly emerging skills needs and changing employment patterns. The department focused on Skills Bootcamps in digital skills as a priority for the first competition run from the DPS, and Digital skills are further included in the second competition.Digital skills are increasingly critical for all citizens, enabling them to play a full part in society. Through the Adult Education Budget, the department introduced a new legal entitlement in 2020 for adults to study free, high quality Essential Digital Skills Qualifications and, from August 2023, new digital Functional Skills Qualifications. These qualifications were developed against employer supported National Standards and provide learners with the essential digital skills they need to participate actively in life, work and society.The government recognises that formal qualifications are not appropriate for everyone, which is why it also funds community learning and other non-regulated learning, such as building confidence in essential digital skills, through the Adult Education Budget. Many local authorities and other further education providers are already delivering these courses that help equip adults with the essential digital skills they need for work, life and further learning. From next year, the Adult Skills Fund will continue to support both qualification-based learning and tailored learning (which will include non-regulated learning to build digital skills) so adults can retrain and upskill in the most effective way.Through skills reforms, the government is continuing to ensure learners are supported, including those who need the most support, to train, retrain and upskill so they can climb the ladder of opportunity towards better jobs, better wellbeing, and better options for the future.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Afghanistan: Refugees

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what is theirassessment of the human rights implications of the forced deportations of Afghans from Pakistan.

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessmentof the impact of the deportations of Afghans from Pakistan on religiousminorities affected by the deportations, particularly(1)Hazaras, and (2) Ahmadis.

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what is theirassessment of the level of instability in Afghanistanas a result ofthe mass deportations of Afghans from Pakistan.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government continues to monitor the return of Afghans from Pakistan. Pakistan has a long history of welcoming vulnerable refugees and we urge them to respect the human rights of all Afghans in Pakistan. We are working with the UN Refugee Agency to ensure Pakistan adheres to its international human rights obligations. Since September, we have committed £18.5 million to the International Organisation for Migration in Afghanistan to support vulnerable undocumented people returning from Pakistan and Iran. We are monitoring the situation in Afghanistan, including the humanitarian and human rights implications. We note the Taliban's creation of a Refugee Commission to aid the resettlement of people returning.

Bangladesh: Elections

Lord Wharton of Yarm: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the human rights implications of the violence taking place in Bangladesh ahead of the forthcoming general election.

Lord Wharton of Yarm: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Bangladesh on the release of Khaleda Zia, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader, ahead of the forthcoming general election.

Lord Wharton of Yarm: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the human rights implications of previous alleged electoral irregularities and human rights abuses in Bangladesh on the fairness of that country’s forthcoming general election.

Lord Wharton of Yarm: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Bangladesh on the need for all political parties and candidates to have equal access to the Bangladesh Electoral Commission during the forthcoming general election.

Lord Wharton of Yarm: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the human rights implications of the scale and scope of the arrests of opposition party activists in Bangladesh, and of the impact on the forthcoming general election.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It is important that the people of Bangladesh should have the opportunity to freely choose their government. We are concerned at recent violence and the arrest of opposition politicians. We call on all stakeholders to exercise restraint, prevent violence and come together to create the conditions for a free, fair, participatory and peaceful election. Respect for human rights, rule of law and access to justice is essential. Bangladesh remains a Human Rights Priority Country for the FCDO and we regularly raise our human rights issues regarding the treatment of those in detention, including Khaleda Zia, with the Government of Bangladesh.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Politics and Government

Lord Browne of Ladyton: To ask His Majesty's Government what plansthey have further to support the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina in light of recent actions by President Dodik and the Republika Srpska.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK fully supports the High Representative and the use of his executive powers, should the situation require it. We remain an active member of the Peace Implementation Council Steering Board (PIC SB), through which we provide the High Representative with political guidance. Ambassadors of the PIC SB issued a statement on 22 September, urging Dodik to immediately stop his policy of non-recognition of and non-co-operation with the High Representative.

HIV Infection: Disease Control

Baroness Barker: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support community-led efforts in other countries that focus on HIV prevention, awareness, and support for key affected populations, such as sex workers, LGBTQ+ communities, and people who use drugs.

Baroness Barker: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to facilitate international knowledge exchange and collaboration to accelerate progress towards the global goals of ending new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths by 2030.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK remains a world leader in efforts to end the global AIDS epidemic and funds all key partners in the global AIDS response, including the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria.The UK's investments, including to the WHO, help to ensure that people at high risk of HIV in the global south can access Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis and other HIV prevention and treatment services. WHO has recently published new guidelines on HIV, STI and viral hepatitis prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care for key populations, which will support countries and local organisations in designing and implementing their HIV strategies and interventions.Our recent pledge of £1 billion to the Global Fund will save over 1 million lives, including by providing antiretroviral therapy for 1.8 million people, HIV counselling and testing for 48 million people, and reaching 3 million members of key affected populations with prevention programs.Our funding for the Robert Carr Fund and UNAIDS supports initiatives to empower local civil society and grassroots organisations, predominantly in the Global South, to increase access to HIV prevention, testing and care services, particularly for LGBT+ people.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Climate Change

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask His Majesty's Government, given recent weather events, what progress has been made in helping the UK to adapt to climate change.

Lord Benyon: The Government published its Third National Adaptation Programme (NAP3) (see attached) in July 2023. This marked a step-change in the Government’s approach to climate adaptation, putting in place an ambitious programme of decisive action for the next 5 years to address each of the 61 climate risks and opportunities in its Third Climate Change Risk Assessment. NAP3 builds on our work already underway to provide an improved and more resilient infrastructure, greener economy, and sustainable food production.  For example, we are responding to environmental threats to domestic food production through our Environmental Land Management farming schemes, protecting hundreds of thousands of homes with a record-breaking £5.2 billion investment in flood and coastal schemes, and safeguarding future water supplies by working with regulators to accelerate £2.2 billion of investment through our ambitious Plan for Water. The Government will continue to monitor its progress on adapting to climate change both internally through a new, senior officials Climate Resilience Board, and externally by the Climate Change Committee’s (CCC’s) reports to Parliament. The Government published its response to the CCC’s latest report in October 2023.Third National Adaptation Programme (07/23) (pdf, 11629.2KB)

Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have in the current session of Parliament either to reintroducethe Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill or to support its reintroduction.

Lord Benyon: We are disappointed that the Hunting Trophies Bill failed to progress in the House of Lords in the previous session, in spite of overwhelming support from MPs for our proposals. We are committed to delivering on our manifesto pledge to ban the import of hunting trophies and will continue to explore ways to bring this forward.

Fishing Catches: Cetaceans

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government how many cetaceans were caught in UK waters in 2022; and how that number compares to estimates of cetacean bycatch.

Lord Benyon: All cetaceans are fully protected in UK waters under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations. In the UK, it is an offence to deliberately disturb, harm, capture or kill wild cetaceans. We are not aware of any cetaceans being caught illegally in UK waters in 2022. The UK introduced new rules in 2021 making it mandatory under fishing vessel licence conditions for fishers to report any marine mammal bycatch to the Marine Management Organisation (MMO). On the introduction of this requirement, communications were sent out by Defra, the Devolved Administrations and the MMO to ensure that industry understood the new obligations. This reporting is complemented by a range of other monitoring programmes. The Government funds the UK Bycatch Monitoring Programme which uses onboard observers to estimate bycatch rates and high-risk gear types. The 2022 annual programme report will be completed and published, once fishing effort figures for 2022 are finalised and can be integrated into bycatch estimates. In addition, both the UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme (CSIP) and the Scottish Marine Animal Strandings Scheme investigate the causes of death of stranded cetaceans around the UK coast to improve our understanding of, and ability to tackle, key threats like bycatch. CSIP strandings data are published in annual reports. Due to unprecedented events, including the coronavirus pandemic and the UK’s largest ever outbreak of avian influenza, the delivery of project reports has been delayed. The 2022 annual report will be finalised shortly and released in due course, following publication assurance processes. Since 2020, Defra has also funded Clean Catch UK, a research programme which is developing and trialling a range of bycatch monitoring and mitigation measures. This programme has developed a bycatch self-reporting mobile application and an online ‘Bycatch Mitigation Hub’ with information on different approaches to reduce bycatch. We recognise that accidental bycatch in fisheries is one of the greatest threats faced by cetaceans, and we remain fully committed to tackling this and addressing monitoring gaps. In 2022, the UK Government and Devolved Administrations published the UK Bycatch Mitigation Initiative (BMI). This outlines how the UK will achieve its ambitions to minimise and, where possible, eliminate the bycatch of sensitive marine species. As a core objective of the BMI, the Government will continue to build on existing monitoring work to improve our understanding of bycatch and entanglement of sensitive marine species.

Fisheries: Monitoring

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government whether footagecaptured through remote electronic monitoring of fishing will be available to the public or just to designated observers; and if just to designated observers, how this will be monitored.

Lord Benyon: We do not anticipate making raw footage available to the public. How remote electronic monitoring (REM) data would be reviewed would depend on the data objectives for that fishery. We consulted on the data objectives in our recent consultation on REM in English waters. We are considering responses to this consultation and will publish a response in due course.

Fisheries: Monitoring

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government why the rollout of remote electronic monitoring of fishing (1) is voluntary, and (2) has been slow; and what consideration they have given (a) to making it mandatory, and (b) to expediting its implementation.

Lord Benyon: Our recent consultation on remote electronic monitoring (REM) in English waters proposed a phased approach to the expansion of REM. This would begin with volunteers in priority fisheries and then become mandatory for all vessels in those fisheries. In this consultation we also sought views on the timeline and other implementation issues. We are considering consultation responses and will publish a response in due course.

Fisheries: Monitoring

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what are their contingency plans in the event that insufficient numbers of fishing vessels volunteer to adopt remote electronic monitoring.

Lord Benyon: Our current expectation is that we will have sufficient volunteers to expand the use of remote electronic monitoring (REM) in 2024. In our recent consultation on REM in English waters, we proposed the establishment of steering groups. Among other things, these would enable us to develop our approach with stakeholders across relevant fisheries. This could include looking at alternatives if sufficient volunteers were not forthcoming.

Ministry of Defence

Army

Lord Browne of Ladyton: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the operational readiness and viability of the UK’s Warfighting 3rd Division.

The Earl of Minto: Warfighting capability remains the cornerstone of deterrence and the bedrock of a world-class British Army. The 3rd (UK) Division is at the heart of this, able to manage a multi-domain battle in ever greater depth; designed to act with NATO and capable of providing a framework for Allies. The Army constantly keeps its warfighting capability under review, and regularly assesses the adequacy of its readiness. It is embracing the ever-changing global landscape and ensuring that it will be more capable against peer adversaries and integrated with our NATO Allies and partners.

AUKUS: Expenditure

Lord Browne of Ladyton: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks byBaroness Goldie on 3 July (HL Deb col 987), what estimate they have made of theplanned UK expenditure consequent on the AUKUS agreement.

The Earl of Minto: As announced in the Integrated Review Refresh, we are providing £2 billion this year and £2.95 billion next year to Defence. Of this new money, £3 billion will be invested across the defence nuclear enterprise, supporting areas such as the construction of industrial infrastructure, allowing us to continue to grow our graduate and apprentice nuclear skills programmes, and enhancing support to in-service submarines. This will support the overall delivery of AUKUS, while longer-term funding will be revisited at the next Spending Review.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Affordable Housing

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to promote affordable housing and appropriate support services to prevent a rise in homelessness.

Baroness Penn: The provision of affordable housing is part of the Government's plan to build more homes and provide aspiring homeowners with a step onto the housing ladder.Our £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme will deliver thousands of affordable homes for both rent and to buy right across the country and the Levelling Up White Paper committed to increasing the supply of social rented homes and a large number of the new homes delivered through our Affordable Homes Programme will be for social rent.We are providing over £1 billion over three years through the Homelessness Prevention Grant, including a £109 million top up this year, to support local authorities to deliver their statutory duties. This funding can be used flexibly – for example, to offer financial support for people to find a new home or to work with landlords to prevent evictions, among other preventative measures, or to provide temporary accommodation where needed.

Council Tax: Empty Property

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the empty homes premium since its introduction in 2013, with reference to the Local Government Association’s findings of 13 November that empty homes in England have risen by nearly 10 per cent in the past five years.

Baroness Penn: The judgement on whether to apply the empty homes premium, and the level of premium, rests with local councils. Through the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act, the Government has provided further flexibility to councils by enabling councils to apply a premium after a property has been empty for twelve months, rather than the current two years.

Women and Equalities

Ethnic Groups: Equal Pay

Lord Shinkwin: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks byBaroness Stedman-Scott on 21 March 2022 where she stated that they reserve the right to introduce legislation for mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting "at a future point, if and when the reporting tools are sufficiently developed, effective in driving positive change and accessible to more businesses" (HL Deb col 722), whether they still remain open to doing so.

Lord Gascoigne: The Government published guidance in April which sets out how employers can measure, report on, and address any unfair ethnicity pay gaps within their workforce. This was an action from our ambitious Inclusive Britain strategy, published in March 2022.We have no plans to introduce mandatory ethnicity pay reporting. Instead, we want to encourage and support employers who want to use ethnicity pay reporting to improve transparency and build trust among their employees. We are engaging with employers and representative bodies to promote the new guidance. We will also seek case studies from those that are already reporting on their ethnicity pay data, so that others can benefit from their experience.

Home Office

Fraud: Databases

Lord Browne of Ladyton: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the comprehensiveness of their current data in estimating total national fraud, and (2)the feasibility of reintroducing a government-led Annual Fraud Indicator.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Home Office and the Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA) publish datasets reflecting their respective responsibilities for fraud against individuals and businesses, and fraud against the public sector.These include the Crime Survey of England and Wales (supplemented by data from Action Fraud and the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau), the Economic Crime Survey of 2020 estimating fraud against businesses across seven sectors (due to be refreshed in 2024), and the PSFA’s annual report on the scale of fraud. There are also plans for a new Fraud and Cyber Crime Reporting Service in 2024.

Immigration: Detainees

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they aretaking over the immigration detention estate to ensure the use of force is continually monitored and recorded for all detainees, and particularly vulnerable adults and children.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: We will accept nothing but the highest standards from companies employed to manage the immigration removal estate. Published guidance Detention Services Order 07/2016, and the training received by detainee custody officers (DCOs) makes it clear that physical force and restraint equipment must only be used as a last resort, and for the shortest possible time, and physical force will be used only after a thorough risk assessment and in consideration of each individual’s personal circumstances. Where restraints are used, they must be removed at the earliest opportunity. The Home Office reviews all reports resulting from a use of force in detention to identify trends, ensure that techniques are used proportionally, are justified, and are only used for the minimum period required.

Detention Centres

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are planning to update (1) the Detention Centre Rules 2001, and (2) the Adults at Risk Policy; and if so, when and whether there will be a consultation on the changes proposed.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: As set out by Lord Murray during the passage of the Illegal Migration Bill through parliament, the Home Office will be updating the Adults at risk in immigration detention policy to work with provisions in the Illegal Migration Act. Amendments to the statutory guidance will be laid before parliament by statutory instrument.A separate, broader review of the Adults at risk policy is also currently being undertaken and includes reviewing Rule 34 and Rule 35 of the Detention Centre Rules 2001.The Home Office values engagement with key stakeholders when developing its policies and is currently giving thought to how and with whom the engagement process will be undertaken in reviewing these important safeguarding measures.

Refugees: Biometric Residence Permits

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask His Majesty's Government whether there are mechanisms available to extend the move-on period for an individual where the issuing of a biometric residence permit is significantly delayed following a letter granting refugee status.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: Following the service of an asylum decision, an individual continues to be an asylum seeker for the purpose of asylum support until the end of the relevant prescribed period, also known as the ‘grace period’ or ‘move on period’. This period is 28 calendar days from when an individual is notified of a decision to accept their asylum claim and grant them leave. This period remains as 28 days and there are no plans to change this. Individuals are notified of this period in their grant letter. Confirmation of the exact date an individual’s support and accommodation is due to end is issued in a ‘notice to quit’ (NTQ) or ‘notice to vacate’ (NTV) letter. This will either be at least 7 days from when the notice is issued, or the date on which the grace period comes to an end, whichever is the longest in date. A NTQ will only usually be issued once a person has been issued a biometric residence permit (BRP). This means that individuals who receive a positive decision on their asylum claim are eligible to support and accommodation for at least 28 days from when their decision is served and that support usually will not end unless an individual has been issued with a BRP.It's important to note that individuals do not need to wait for their BRP to make a claim for benefits and are encouraged to do so as early as possible if they require them.

Asylum: Hotels

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask His Majesty's Government whether any individual is responsible for carrying out a full risk assessment when implementing sharing of hotel rooms for asylum seekers to ensure vulnerable residents are safeguarded; and if so, who.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: Our asylum accommodation service providers are responsible for ensuring that all accommodation complies with the standards and provisions set out in Schedule 2 of the Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts (AASC) .The sharing of rooms in Initial Accommodation (IA) is not new and we work with local authorities and their partners to minimise the impact on health and local services of any increases to occupancy within individual sites. All representation will be considered by the Home Office prior to any new asylum seekers being routed to additionally available beds.When implementing room sharing, our providers will discuss the move with each individual and will encourage them to raise any safeguarding, medical or other issues which would mean room sharing is not appropriate. All personal circumstances will be considered before deciding if room sharing is suitable.

Derwentside Immigration Removal Centre

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask His Majesty's Government whatare the long-term plans for the use of Derwentside Immigration Removal Centre.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: Derwentside immigration removal centre (IRC) which is currently a women only centre, will be converted into a detained facility for men in due course.

Suella Braverman

Lord Watson of Wyre Forest: To ask His Majesty's Government whether the written agreement made with the Rt Hon Suella Braverman QC MP, as mentioned in her resignation letter, was used as the basis for any policy direction in the Home Office; and if so, what the nature of that policy direction was.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: I refer the noble peer to the answer of 20 November 2023, Official Report, House of Commons, PQ 1905.

Department of Health and Social Care

Cystic Fibrosis: Drugs

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government whethernew or existing patients with Cystic Fibrosis will continue to have access to modular drugs through the NHS to treat that condition.

Lord Markham: Since 2019, National Health Service patients have been able to access Orkambi, Symkevi and Kaftrio through an interim access agreement between NHS England, the company Vertex, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the UK Cystic Fibrosis Trust. The agreement makes the medicines available for a limited time at a reduced price, while further information has been collected to inform a NICE appraisal. On 15 November 2023, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency approved a new licence extension and children as young as two years old with cystic fibrosis are now eligible to receive Kaftrio through the interim access agreement. NICE is currently consulting on its draft recommendations on the use of Orkambi, Symkevi and Kaftrio and has not yet published its final recommendations. NICE continues to work with stakeholders to address the issues highlighted by the committee in the draft guidance. Under the terms of the interim access agreement for the cystic fibrosis medicines, Orkambi, Symkevi and Kaftrio, eligible children and adults with cystic fibrosis can continue to receive ongoing treatment and be initiated onto treatment with these medicines, as clinically appropriate, while NICE concludes its evaluation.

Cystic Fibrosis: Medical Treatments

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government whatnew treatments or strategies are planned to support sufferers of Cystic Fibrosis through the NHS.

Lord Markham: NHS England commissions 47 specialised cystic fibrosis centres for adults and children across England, in addition to supporting the optimal monitoring of patients with cystic fibrosis at home, and best practice in remote consultations.Through these centres, NHS England provides a range of innovative treatments including inhaled therapies such as nebulised antibiotics. Since 2019, thousands of people with cystic fibrosis have been able to benefit from licensed treatments, firstly Orkambi and Symkevi and then Kaftrio, following its marketing authorisation in 2020. Access to these treatments is provided under the terms of a commercial agreement reached between the manufacturer, Vertex and NHS England, with the full support of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).Within the agreement between NHS England and Vertex, there is a flexible commercial mechanism to ensure continued access for patients already receiving any of the licensed treatments following the conclusion of a full NICE evaluation.On 3 November 2023, NICE published a consultation on draft guidance that did not recommend these treatments as a cost-effective use of National Health Service resources. This draft is an initial step in the review of these medicines and does not affect patients’ continued access to these medicines on the NHS in any way. Eligible children and adults with cystic fibrosis can continue to receive ongoing treatment and be initiated onto treatment with these medicines, as clinically appropriate.On 15 November 2023, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency approved a new licence extension that will mean children as young as two years old with cystic fibrosis are eligible to receive Kaftrio.NHS England anticipate that as many as 600 children could benefit from this latest approval under the terms of the existing commercial agreement negotiated with Vertex in 2019. NHS cystic fibrosis centres across the country have plans in place to ensure that all children eligible today can be provided long term access to this life-changing treatment.

General Practitioners: Rural Areas

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask His Majesty's Government whatsteps they are taking to encourage more GPs to practice in rural areas.

Lord Markham: The Government recognises that there are issues with recruitment and retention in certain areas of the country, including some rural locations. We launched the Targeted Enhanced Recruitment Scheme in 2016, which has attracted hundreds of doctors to train in hard to recruit locations, including many rural areas, by providing a one-off financial incentive of £20,000. As of 2023/24, there are 782 places available on the scheme.

Department for Work and Pensions

Health and Safety: Artificial Intelligence

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Buscombe on 5 June 2018 (HL8200), what testingand examination was carried out to ensure that any artificial intelligence software supplied for use in the Department for Work and Pensions is safe and without risks, as required by section 6 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: We will continue to work in close collaboration and partnership with other government departments and bodies to align with government’s AI approach, particularly the AI Safety Institute. DWP is exploring the use of AI and how it can support better digital services in a safe, transparent, ethical and considered way. We will work with HSE as and where it is appropriate to do so.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Medical Records: Data Protection

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the compliance by UK Biobank with NHS England’s assertion that “information is never passed to insurance companies without patient consent.”

Viscount Camrose: The assurance that identifiable data will not be shared with any organisation, including insurance companies, was provided to participants at the time of recruitment, and still applies. Members of the public invited to join UK Biobank were given information leaflets and a consent form that stated that de-identified data would be made available to researchers from across industry, academia, charitable and government sectors if the applications met the required thresholds of including a bona fide researcher and doing health-related research in the public good.

Broadband

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks byLord Parkinson of Whitley Bay on 14 November (HL Deb col 472), what assessment they have made of whether they will achieve their target of at least 85 per cent of premises having access to gigabit capable broadband by 2025.

Viscount Camrose: The Government is committed to delivering nationwide gigabit connectivity as soon as possible. According to ThinkBroadband, an independent broadband news and information site, over 78% of UK premises can now access gigabit-capable broadband, which represents significant progress since January 2019, when coverage was just 6%. We are currently on track to achieve our target of 85% coverage by 2025. We have created a competition-friendly environment in areas where deployment is commercially viable. This Government has also reduced barriers to broadband rollout. For example, we passed the Product Security and Telecoms Infrastructure Act in 2022, making it cheaper and easier for companies to deploy, upgrade and share infrastructure. As a result, there is now a thriving market of over 100 providers who are estimated to invest nearly £40bn by 2030 in rolling out gigabit broadband all over the UK. The Government is also investing £5bn as part of Project Gigabit to ensure the hardest-to-reach areas in the UK receive coverage. Through our 12 Project Gigabit contracts and 27 current live procurements, we have made over £2 billion of funding available to suppliers to bring gigabit-capable broadband to up to 1.1 million premises in hard-to-reach parts of the country.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Electric Cables

Lord Swire: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks byLord Callanan on 22 November that "it is up to 10 times more expensive" to bury power lines (HL Deb col 740), what evidence they have to support that conclusion.

Lord Callanan: The evidence to support the claim that underground lines can be up to 10 times more expensive than overhead lines comes from an independent 2012 report endorsed by the Institution of Engineering & Technology called “Electricity Transmission Costing Study”, which can be found at https://www.theiet.org/impact-society/factfiles/energy-factfiles/energy-generation-and-policy/electricity-transmission-costing/ (also attached).Electricity Transmission Costing Study (pdf, 11103.8KB)

Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund

Baroness Hayman: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to bring forward the remaining funding for the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund to give the social housing sector certainty to plan for decarbonising their housing stock beyond 2025.

Lord Callanan: The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) is a 10-year, £3.8bn 2019 manifesto commitment. £6 billion of new Government funding will be made available from 2025 to 2028 in addition to the £6.6 billion allocated in this Parliament to energy efficiency and clean heat in buildings. Conversations are continuing with HM Treasury to assess SHDF’s share of the £6bn to be made available from 2025 to 2028, and provide long-term funding certainty, support the growth of supply chains and ensure we can scale up our delivery over time.

Treasury

Industry: Investment

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the letter from the Capital Markets Industry Taskforce to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, as reported by Sky News on 14 November, which stated that Britain has lower domestic investments than other G7 countries; and what steps they are taking in response.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The government welcomes representations from industry relating to capital markets and will continue to engage with a wide range of organisations on these issues. At Autumn Statement, the Chancellor updated on his comprehensive package of ongoing regulatory reforms to support our capital markets and make the UK one of the most attractive places to start, grow and list a company. This includes: delivering Lord Hill’s central recommendation, laying legislation to fundamentally overhaul the UK’s prospectus regime; putting in place a consolidated tape to improve market data; launching a financial market infrastructure sandbox to test distributed ledger technology and; making fundamental changes to short selling. The FCA and government are also engaging industry stakeholders to take forward the recommendations of the Investment Research Review. Supporting these capital market reforms, the Chancellor also announced that the government will explore options for a NatWest retail share offer in the next 12 months, subject to supportive market conditions and achieving value for money. Together with the pension investment package announced at Autumn Statement, the government’s actions will boost growth in the UK’s capital markets and high-growth companies, while improving savers outcomes and investment.

Department for Business and Trade

Metals: Recycling

Baroness Redfern: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve the quality and consistency of short scrap metal to meet increased demand for future electric arc furnace steelmaking.

Lord Offord of Garvel: The Government is aware the sector's transition to electric arc furnaces will mean scrap steel becomes an increasingly vital material source for UK steelmaking. The UK has an abundance of ferrous scrap and a strong scrap sector - there were c.11 million tonnes of scrap arising in 2021, with 2.6 million tonnes (25%) consumed domestically (International Steel Statistics Bureau via UK Steel) and 8.6 million tonnes (75%) exported (HMRC Overseas Trade Data).Steel producers are increasing their engagement with scrap metal dealers to secure future supply. Government officials continue to closely monitor the development of the scrap market and the Government will consider its options if evidence emerges that the market is failing to respond effectively.